Self-cooling safe for viands



IVI. DIXDN.

SELF COOLING SAFE FOR VIANDS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18| 1920.

Patented J une 7 1921.

Aorzaeg UNITED STATES :MARIE DIXQN, or NEUTRAL BAY, NEAR SYDNEY, NEW soUTH WALEsfAUsTEALIA, L

Partnr OFFICE.

I sELEoooLIive sArEroE .vIA.i\Tns.v

ySpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented'. June 7, 1921.

.Application filed February 18,1926. Serial No. 359,612.

' ject of the King of Great'Britain and Iref so land, residing' at Remuera, 47 Kurraba road, 'Neutral Bay, near Sydney, New; South Wales,l Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Cooling Safes for Viande, of which the following is a specication.

' This invention relates to self cooling safes for containing meat and other viandsin domestic service. It consists in certain improvements in that vtype of such safes in which heat is absorbed in evaporation of water into the surrounding atmosphere from the surfaces of porous material of which the walls of the safeare constructed.

Self cooling safes according to my invention are constructed of elements of cellular Portland cement concrete having the cells charged with porous coke or like neutral vesicular material, and structurally formed to interlock when.. completely assembled, thereby to enable easy erection vandV dis-assembling, with means for facilitating the supply of water to the porous surfaces from which evaporation takes place, and for preventing access of ants to the safe chamber.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is an horizontal section through the safe and Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the plane 2-2 Fi 1.

e base slab 10 is made of solid Portland cement concrete, with feet 11. Its rim or marginal portion which sets out beyond the side walls and door line is formed as a continuous trough 12 to contain water which serves the double purpose of maintaining the slabs in wet condition and forming a barrier which ants will not pass to reach the contents of the safe. A oove 13 and. a spigot rib 14 on the top face of the slab 10 along three sides of the same form a footing complementary to the grooved section of the bottom ends of the side and back slabs to engage said side and back slabs in correct erect position on the base slab 10.

The back slab 15 is formed with splayed ends which when set into the rabbets in the rear ends of the side slabs 16 make a joint close enough to prevent substantial leakage of heat or intrusion of insects, but not necessarily air tight. The back slab 15 and the side slabs 16 depend for their positioningV at their bottom ends on the grooveV and f spigot seatin 13g-14: already described; near the top t ey are connected together by cabin hooks 17, the shank and eye tangs of,l which are respectively inserted `in the concrete during the molding operation. Four or more metal lugs 19 similarly xed in the side slabs in the molding operation are' pro-V` vided for supporting'a shelf or sheet metal or fiber board.V 1 v Thefba'ck slab 15 and the side slabs 16 are similarly constructed. The lowerV part 21` and the'upper part 22l of each of'them is of cavity wall with wire netting reinforcement 211 set in the solid portions of the structure at either side of the cavity in the molding operation. The cavities 25 are` packed with porous coke or breeze or pumice.v 26 .are ventilation "holes Vthrough the upper solid portions 22 of `each slab. `The front ends of the side slabs 16 are returned laterally inward as shown 'at 27 and 28, and finished to form splayed jamb rabbets for the door`29, the door being eomplementarily rabbeted to make a reasonably close draft proof joint with said jamb rabbets. The door 29 is hung on hinges 30, the leaf tangs of which are embedded in the concrete of the door jamb, and in one'outer corner of the door. 31 is a snap latch fastening device, of any well known type, sui'iicing to hold the door closed home. 32 is a metal handpiece Xed in the door face.

Two water inflow vents screened with finely perforated gratings 33 are formed in the upper part of the back slab 15 and two similar grated vents are formed in the upper pan 20 of A' solid concrete, and the middle part 23 isa Y part of each of the two side slabs 16 to ofer f passageway for water into the cavities 25. Grooves 34 are formed inthe top edges of the back and side slabs to spigotV joint the cover 35 onto them and so hold the whole structure rigidV when assembled. These grooves 34 terminate near the door jambs 36 and 37.

The cover 35 is formed with a central water reservoir cavity 38 open at the top, where a funnel mouth 39 is formed, a grating` or gauze 40V being set in this funnel mouth to protect the 4contents of the cavity 38 and to prevent introduction of solid mat ter into it. The cavity 38 is packed with a lower layer 41 of sand and an upper layer 42 of coke, breeze, or pumice pieces. 43 are line drip holes positioned to locate directly A Water from those surfaces into the surlif'ound# ing atmosphere, heat is abso-rbedftrom the.

over the gratings 33. 44 are lug ribs or spigots which lit into the grooves 34 for the pur `ose hereinbefore explained.`

` e joints at the slab junctions are not luted or otherwise closed. The safe may* therefore be"knooked down for packing or transport or Wlienout-of use. i

`Water is filled into the cavity 38 and into the trough 12 and is Jfrom `time to time replenished. It is absorbed into the concrete mass ofthe slabs, and `evaporation losses are madegood by further absorption from the reservoir cavity 38 from which Water percolates and' triokles through the drip holes 43.v The packing in the cellular spaces holds a considerable quantity of Water which from them reaches theslab surfaces which are exposed` to atmosphere. lnthe evaporation 'of massof the safe, and the temperature Within it `is thus maintained at a suihciontly lovv point to insure satisfactory keeping of meat and `other viande stored in the safe.` f

More particularly in cool Weather the side and bfaok slabs maybecome overcharged vvith Water. Any drip consequent on'such overv charge of Water will be `collected in the trough l2 thus replenishing it. slab' l0 and the underneath portion fof the cover should be construoted ofdense ooncrete in orderfto minimize 4Water vpercolation through them. The top sidefof the to secure-'byV Letters The base cover 35, and the back slab and the side slabs and also the door are preferably constructed of porous concrete.4 o. 5I,Y

The door is formed With a cavity 45, Which llike the other slab cavities, is loosel packed with a Water absorbent substance. he door a may besplashed with Water fronrftimefto time to keep it in Wet `condition, but ordinarily it will absorb' suiiicient moisture from the slabs With which it is in Contact to mainvtain, it in a permanently damp condition. What I claim asm invention and desire atentis 1. A viand safe eonstructedof` linookdovvri slabs of o'oncrete with interiittingjoints, hav# ing cellular cavities paokedvvith absorbent. `material in the lateral slabs, a marginal Water gutter in the bottom slalO,v andV a top' ventedvvater reservoir Chamberpacked With porous material inthe ooverslalm, A Y

2. A viandsafe defined in claim 1, hav?4 .ing vents in the top ofthelateralslab Acav and drip holes in theoover slab' regis tering :with said cavity' ventsand adapted to pass Water froml a vxvvater reservoir in the! 

